Bipartisan Support for Voter Registration Modernization

June 25, 2009

The former general counsels to the Obama and McCain presidential campaigns, Bob Bauer and Trevor Potter, published a forceful op-ed in support of modernization our nation's antiquated voter registration system today in the Washington Post.

Bauer and Potter experienced first-hand the havoc our paper-based voter registration system can wreak on elections through their work during last year's historic campaign:

As adversaries, we disagreed passionately about many issues. Our roles in the campaign, however, were often similar; each of us was responsible for guiding our candidates and campaigns through the overly complex gantlet of election administration. Those experiences led us to an inescapable conclusion: Bringing our voter registration system into the 21st century must be the priority for improving the election process.

The Lawyers' Committee has been a leader in the push to modernize our voter registration system. We will continue to use our experience from Election Protection to push for common sense reforms that help achieve the goal of equal access to the ballot box for all. Today's support for voter registration modernization from two former adversaries is a clear sign that leaders from both sides of the aisle recognize the urgent need for registration reform.